Tear strip remover for cans



Jan. 13, 1953 A. BODIN ET AL TEAR STRIP REMOVER FOR CANS Filed March 13, 1951 INVENTORS 14L FRED BOD/N & EgC K. LOTTHAMHER JTTORNEY Patented Jan. 13, 1953 TEAR STRIP BEMOVER FOR CANS Alfred Bodin, Palos Park,- Ill., and Eric K. Lotthammer, Jamaica, N. Y. said Lotthammer assignor to said Bodin Application March 13, 1951, Serial No. 215,222

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a vacuum can opener.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a vacuum can opener which is adaptable to different sizes of cans which will rotate upon the can as a crank is turned to remove the removable thin strip and wherein the opener is retained upon the can by three rollers, one of which is adjustable for large variations in the diameter of the cans to which the opener is applied and the other two rollers being slightly adjustable to accommodate the slight amount of play as the opener is used upon the can.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a vacuum can opener adapted to separate the securing strip of the can by a winding operation, which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts, easy to apply to the can, compact, of pleasing appearance, durable and will have long life and efiicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the vacuum can opener embodying the features of the present invention and applied to a can for the removal of the tin strip.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1 and looking in plan upon the gear mechanism that operates the winding shaft.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal and vertical sectional View of the can opener taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary and perspective view illustrating the manner in which the winding shaft engages with the removable strip.

Referring now to the figures, l and II represent respectively the upper and lower casing parts adapted to be fitted upon one another. Each of these parts has an enlarged end for containing a driving gear mechanism indicated generally at I2. The lower part II has a bearing recess l3 for a shaft [4 which carries a gear l5. This shaft extends upwardly through a bearing opening 16 in the upper part I0 and has a crank arm I! connected to it by a fastening pin l8. The outer end of the crank arm I! has a pin l9 fixed thereto and on which is a rotatable handle 2|.

The gear I meshes with a gear 22 that is fixed to a shaft 23 extending between recesses 24 and 25, which lie respectively in the upper and lower parts In and ll.

Extending downwardly through the lower part I l is a winding gear shaft 26 having a slot 21 in its lower end for receiving a removable strip tab 28 of a vacuum can 29 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5. The shaft 26 has a pinion gear 3| that is driven by the gear 22 of the driving gear mechanism I2. Accordingly, as the crank arm I! is turned the winding shaft 26 will be turned.

On the enlarged end of the bottom part II, thereis pivoted spaced rollers 32 and 33. These rollers are slightly adjustable within the part and are urged toward the can rim by coil springs 34 and 35.

Extending upwardly from the bottom part H is a post 36 that engages with the upper part In. This post serves to space the parts from one another, intermediate its length, and as a means to which a tension spring 31 may be anchored. The other end of the tension spring is connected to an adjustable roller structure 38 that engages with the opposite side of the can and to which is connected a pull handle 39. This roller structure is longitudinally adjustable in elongated slots 4| and 42 respectively provided in the upper and lower parts and serve to guide the movement of the roller structure. The spring 3! pulls the roller structure 38 on to the opposite side of the, can and is adjustable to take care of the major diameter diiferences of the different cans. This roller structure 38 is thus spring loaded and lies intermediate the rollers 32 and 33 and longitudinally spaced therefrom.

With the opener mounted on the can, the tab of the removable strip is placed in the slot 21 of the winding gear shaft 26. By turning the crank the removable strip winds upon the shaft and. in winding pulls the opener around the can. The strip is removed from the opener by sliding it down off the open end of the winding stem.

The two forward rollers 32 and 33 are spring tensioned by their respective springs 34 and 35 so that they bear at all times against the can.

The casing parts have inwardly extending flanges which cooperate with one another to provide a rigid housing. A screw 44 is extended downwardly through the top part and into the stud 36 for holding the parts together.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided a vacuum can opener adapted to engage a removable strip and which will rotate upon the can as a crank is turned to affect the winding of the removable strip upon its shaft and wherein a trigger can be readily pulled in order to adapt the opener to the difierent size cans and also for 3 the movement of the roller in order that the opener can be readily and easily applied upon the top of the can. The parts can be made of plastic, metal finished with any desired color for appearances.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that these shall be within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A vacuum can opener comp-rising upper and lower casing parts adapted to be fitted upon one another, each of said parts comprising an enlarged end and a narrow elongated portion lying in the plane of said end and projecting laterally therefrom, a drive mechanism mounted between said upper and lower casing parts in said enlarged end, said drive mechanism including a crank arm extending from the upper surface of said upper casing part and a shaft extending downwardly from the lower surface of said lower-casing part said shafthaving a slit in its lower end to engage with the tab of the removable strip of the vacuum can as the can opener is disposed thereupon said crank arm having mechanical connection with said shaft for rotation of the shaft, spaced rollers pivotally connected to the undersurface of said lower casing "part at the periphery thereof with their axes perpendicular to the plane-of said undersurface and in a lineat right angles to the longitudinal axis of the narrow elongated portion of the casing parts said rollers being engageable with one side of the can,

an elongated slot provided in each of said upper and lower casing parts in the narrow portion thereof said slots extending longitudinally of said narrow portions and in overlying relation, a roller structure longitudinally adjustable in said elongated slots and spring means for urging said roller structure toward the can rim, whereby the can openercan be rotated as the crank is turned to wind up the removable strip of the vacuum 2. A vacuumican openerlcomprising upper and lower casing parts adapted to 'be fitted upon one another, each of said parts comprising an .enlarged end and a narrow elongated portion lying in the plane of said end and projecting laterally therefrom, a drive mechanism mounted between said upper and lower casing parts in said enlarged end, said drive mechanism including a crank arm located above said upper casing part and a shaft extending .downwardly from said lower casing part said shaft having a slit in its lower end to engage with the tab of the removable strip of the vacuum can as the can opener isdisposed thereupon said crank arm .having mechanical connection with said shaft for rotation of the shaft, spaced rollers ,pivotally connected to the undersurface of said lower casing part at the periphery thereof with their axes perpendicular to the plane of said undersurface and in a line at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the narrow elongated portions of the casing parts, and said rollers being engageable with one side of the can, corresponding elongated slots one provided in each of said upper and lower casing parts in the narrow portions thereof and extending longitudinally of said parts, a roller structure longitudinally adjustable in said slots, said roller structure comprising a vertical shaft ex- Number another, each of said parts comprising an enlarged end and a narrow elongated portion lying in the plane of said end and projecting laterally therefrom, a drive mechanism mounted between said upper and lower casing parts in said enlarged end, said mechanism comprising a first bearingrecess located in said lower casing part,

a first bearing opening located in said upper casing partdirectly above said first recess, a first shaft located in said first recessand extending upwardly through said first opening, a first gear fixed to said first shaft, a crank arm fixed to the upper end of said first shaft, a second bearing recess located in said lower casing, a third bearing recess located in-said upper casing part directly above said second bearing recess, a second shaft adapted to rest between said second and third recesses, a second gear fixed to said second shaft and adapted to mesh with said first gear, a second bearing opening located in said lower casing part, a third shaft located in said second opening extending upwardly and downwardly therefrom and having a slit in its lower end adapted to engage with the tab of the removable strip :of the vacuum can as the can opener is disposed thereupon, a pinion gear fixed to said thirdshaft at the upper end thereof,.and adapted to mesh with said second gear, spaced rollers pivotally connected to the undersurface of said lower casing part at the periphery thereof with their axes perpendicular to the plane of said undersurfaceand in a line at right angles to the longitudinalaxis of thenarrow elongated portion of the casing parts, spring means for urging said rollers toward the can rim, a tension spring located in said narrow portion and anchored at one end, an elongated slot provided in each of said upper and lower casing parts in the narrow portions thereof said slots extending longitudinally of said narrow portions and in overlying relation, a vertical roller shaft adapted to ride longitudinally along said slots and extending upwardly and downwardly of said upper and lower casing parts, a pull handle fixed to the upper end of said .jshaft, aroller fixed to the lower end of said shaft, said spring being connected at the other end to said roller shaft whereby to urge said third roller toward the can rim.

ALFRED BODIN. ERIC K. LOTTHAMMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,759,36l Quigg May 20, 1930 

